Firestone, a subsidiary of Bridgestone Americas, has launched the Firestone Pathway AS, an all-season touring tire offered in 73 sizes. The company says the lineup provides the broadest vehicle coverage of any Firestone tire and is backed by a 65,000-mile limited mileage warranty.
The tire is aimed at everyday drivers and combines dependable performance, long tread life and value, according to Firestone. Leslie Sawyer, senior product design engineer at Bridgestone Americas, said most drivers want a tire they can depend on, and that the Pathway AS is designed to deliver reliable performance and long-lasting value in everyday driving situations.
Lineup expanded during development
Consumer feedback shaped the tire's development, with attention to wet traction, tread life and ride comfort compared with its predecessor. Firestone originally planned 48 sizes but added 25 during development, bringing the total to 73. The company says the expanded range helps it reach nearly 77% of registered vehicles.
Tread life and year-round traction
Firestone says the Pathway AS is built to perform throughout its 65,000-mile limited mileage warranty through a tread compound designed for longevity. Additional sipes and an optimized see-through void are intended to help the tire wear more evenly and maintain traction over time. Deep interlocking 3D sipes are designed to provide traction in conditions ranging from light snow to dry and wet pavement.
Firestone presents the Pathway AS around three priorities: long tread life, year-round traction and everyday performance. The 65,000-mile limited mileage warranty and low-rolling-resistance construction support those priorities, while the expanded size range is intended to broaden the tire's reach across the registered vehicle fleet.
In internal testing, Firestone reports an 18% reduction in wet braking distance for the Pathway AS compared with the Uniroyal Laredo HT, an 11.7% reduction compared with the Firestone All Season, and a 7.4% reduction compared with the Toyo Extensa AS2. The company also says the tire delivered shorter dry braking distances than six leading competitors. These results are company-reported and were not described as independently verified in the announcement. The announcement does not detail the procedures or conditions behind these comparisons, identify the six competitors used for dry braking, or explain how the 77% registered-vehicle coverage figure was calculated.
Everyday performance and availability
The tire's wear resistance is intended to support long-lasting performance, while low rolling resistance contributes to fuel-efficient performance on internal combustion engine vehicles, according to Firestone. The Pathway AS is available now nationwide. The lineup includes fitments for vehicles such as the Toyota Camry, Toyota RAV4, Subaru Outback, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Chevrolet Equinox.
The launch materials frame the tire's competitive position mainly through wet and dry braking comparisons, the tread-life warranty and broad size coverage.